Trying to impress your girl tonight? Be careful and don't eat too much. Study says that men tend to overeat in the presence of a woman.
A new study shows that overeating in men may be linked to impressing a potential mate according to reports from Tech Times. According to researchers at Cornell University, men have a tendency to eat more when eating out with women compared to when they are with their buddies.
For two weeks, researchers observed about 105 individuals aged 18 to 81 years old at an Italian buffet. The amount of pizza slices and bowls of salads they consumed were recorded. Researchers also noted the gender of the individual's partner while they were eating.
The individuals were asked to answer a short survey before leaving the pizzeria. The survey asked their levels of comfort and hastiness while eating and how full they feel afterwards.
Results reveal that most men consume significant amount of pizzas and salads in the presence of a female companion. These men were reported to consume 86 percent more salad and 93 percent more pizza. That's approximately 1.44 more slices.
Moreover, the results reveal that women do not eat differently, regardless of the gender of their dining companion. Women who dined with men assessed themselves to have eaten more. They also reported a feeling of being rushed, aside from the feeling that they have overeaten.
"These findings suggest that men tend to overeat to show off - you can also see this tendency in eating competitions which almost always have mostly male participants," explained Kevin Kniffin, the study's lead author.
Previous studies have been made about women eating lightly in the presence of men. However, the study seems to be pointing on the opposite direction.
"Our article looks at the opposite question and finds evidence that men tend to 'eat heavily' in the company of women," said Kniffin.
Kniffin and the team tested the evolutionary psychology theory called sexual selection. This is the tendency of an individual to show off, in front of others either to show feelings of attractiveness or dominance.
Do you agree that men really tend to eat more in the presence of women? Or is it the either way around? Let us know by leaving your comments below.
